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Updated on
November 13, 2010,
C.T.
asks from Naperville, IL
on
November 10, 2010

Trying to Change My Eating Lifestyle and Lose Weight

I had my daughter almost 2 years ago and have been struggling to lose weight since then. I exercise 3-5 times per week, and mostly eat healthy foods. I do like my snacks and desserts and also love carbs. I have tried to cut all of this out and change my eating style and when I did, I lost about 15 pounds, but fell off track recently due to a surgery I had. I recently had blood work done and the only thing they found was low vitamin D. So it doesn't appear to be anything to do with my blood levels. I often feel very tired in the afternoon, and have low energy levels. I am trying to get back to where I was, because we are visiting my husbands family in January (whom we only see once a year) and I would like to look good. Any suggestions how healthy weight loss options...such as strategies, books, etc?

Featured Answers

M.M.
answers from San Francisco
on
November 10, 2010

I third Sparkpeople.com great FREE program- You get back what you put into it. I have lost 10 pounds over the last two and a half months- not a huge drop okay- but sustainable! Great meal plans, free food tracker and exercise tracker. The community is fantastic and I have made some great friends all around the world with the some goal- to get healthy!

I third Sparkpeople.com great FREE program- You get back what you put into it. I have lost 10 pounds over the last two and a half months- not a huge drop okay- but sustainable! Great meal plans, free food tracker and exercise tracker. The community is fantastic and I have made some great friends all around the world with the some goal- to get healthy!

Spark people is free... it's a community like this. They have free meal plans that you can modify. They also have exercise videos, recipes, etc. You can track your weight goals, calories, meals, and exercise all on line.. and, did I mention, it's FREE. There is no trick like a "premium" membership that costs money or anything like that. Free, free, free.

The community helps you stay motivated. You can join groups that appeal to you and where you are in your life... if you can think of it they probably have a group for it. (Age, special challenges, divorced/married, kids, physical limitations, health issues, interests, etc)

You are on the right track. I responded to a similar post awhile ago, so here's what I said. I hope this helps you :)

the key is not to rob yourself of calories. you'll want to consume 300 calories less than your resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body uses daily). Divide that by 5 and that's about the number of calories you need at each meal. (you'll need 5 meals a day, about every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going strong). Also, try to eat your breakfast no later than 30 mins after you wake up. This will kick start your metabolism for the day.
The key is having enough protein and fiber to keep you fuller longer.
Average woman needs 100-120 grams of protein each day. you need to feed your muscles so you can burn more fat. otherwise your body will burn your muscle when you lose weight.

Also, once you reach your goal, you can add those 300 calories back to maintain it. same thing for gaining weight (which i know you don't want to do here, just saying..) add 300 calories to your resting metabolic rate.

And a biggy, try not to have refined carbs (pasta, rice, bread, etc.) with dinner. complex carbs are fine though, which are mostly vegetables.
I try to have a big carby lunch, then just a small dinner, usually 3-6 oz of meat with however much steamed veggies I want, and if i'm hungry enough, a salad too.

Also, be sure to get plenty of water. Divide your weight in half, and that's how much water in oz.'s your body needs.
Watch out for sodium levels, and sugar.
Go for lean meat when you can, (chicken, turkey, fish..)
If you are a vegetarian: tofu, beans, and dairy should work. Complex vegetables and whole wheat carbs also have some protein in them too. if you don't consume dairy either, then look online or at books about good sources of protein for vegans.

Just doing that without killing yourself at the gym should give you some good results.
I hope this helps! I've taken nutrition classes and am a wellness coach now, so I really love helping people on this subject!

I bet it is the sugar and the excess carbs that are doing you in. If you research the biochemistry of sugar you will see why even a 100 calorie sugary 'treat' will hamper your weight loss efforts whereas a 100 calorie healthy snack will not. The reaction in your body started by the sugar is the problem.

I have had good success with the no belly fat diet. This is a series of books but you really only need the pocket guide to get started. It's also been around long enough that your local library is likely to have some or all of the series. Basically it is a sensible well rounded mediterranean style diet that calls for four 400 calorie meals per day. The idea is to keep your blood sugar as constant as possible. A couple of reasons it works for me are: (1.) it includes lots of foods I happen to like and (2.) the menus and shopping lists. getting organized can be a real stumbling block for me when it comes to dieting.

First off low Vitamin D has everything to do with your low energy and slower metabolism. Start supplementing with D3 under your doctors care. Ideal levels are 50-65 per Dr. Mercola, who's a big proponent of vitamin D. He has a website Mercola.com. The carb cravings could be from your feeling tired and plus you have a two yr old, enough said. Weight watchers is online and very good. ediets is also online and is free. I'm struggling right a long with you so I feel your pain. I'm trying to maintain my weight loss which is difficult. Make sure your thyroid levels are normal. Some docs are really weird about treating people with borderline under-active thyroid but it can make a world of difference, sometimes.

Low levels of vitamin d and fatigue can be caused by Celiac. Have you been checked? I struggled with my weight for years and no matter what I did I could not lose weight. Over the years my wieght was slowly inching up and I exercised, measured my food, and counted calories. Then about 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac and once I started a Gluten free diet the weight just fell off. It is amazing now how much I eat now without gaining weight and no more fatigue. I feel (almost) young again.

there's a good and free website that is helpful...it's www.myfitnesspal.com - you can track what you eat and how much you exercise - it's really put everything in perspective on how much you should be eating/exercising in order to lose the weight! good luck!